Terrible-Jawed Beast
Terrible-jawed beasts (Deinognathidae) are a family of carnivorous mammals that are not related to true carnivore mammals such as dogs, cats, bears, raccons, or seals, instead, they are descended from a group of prehistoric African elephant shrews of the Eocene that grew bigger due to competition from newly-evolving carnivoran mammals. This group includes the biggest carnivorous land mammal of all time, the rattling feresa (Deinognathus robustus), which can grow to about 40 feet long and weigh about 10 tons, making it almost the size of a great tyrant (Tyrannosaurus rex). Depending on a species, they can be bipedal carnivores or they can be quadrupedal meat-eaters, with the quadrupedal ones hunting their prey in a manner similar to their rivals, the gray wolves (Canis lupus), chasing their prey down to exhaustion. While (almost) all ground-dwelling species of terrible-jawed beasts have hoofed back feet, the bipedal species have furry fore-paws ending with razor-sharp claws, giving them an advantage when capturing their prey. They dig their claws into the flesh of their prey to subdue it, when they deliver the bone-crushing bite. Many species are either listed as Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered due to human activities, but some species being small in size and able to avoid humans are listed as Least Concern due to conservation efforts, wide range, and their ability to tolerate human activities, with some even adapting to life in the cities and suburbs. List of species of terrible-jawed beasts Deinognathus.jpg|Deinognathus sp.: 4. D. robustus (rattling feresa), 5. D. simularis (leopard-coated feresa!, 6. D. ingens (laughing feresa), 7. D. minutus (lesser feresa), 8. D. melas (fishing feresa). Paricteria.jpg|Paricteria sp.: 12. P. lupinus (gray lobuck), 13. P. candidus (white lobuck), 14. P. caseyi (Casey's lobuck), 15. P. ignitus (firey lobuck). Orochoreutes.jpg|Orochoreutes sp.: 10. O. johnstoni (Johnston’s mountain lobuck), 11. O. volcanum (rusty mountain lobuck). Phobodromas.jpg|Phobodromas arborealis (dwarf feresa). Spathodon.jpg|Spathodon sp.: 17. S. separatum (Madagascan conjagurra), 18. S. insulatus (Comoros conjagurra), 19. S. montanus (mountain conjagurra), 20. S. lemuriensis (Lemurian conjagurra), 21. S. deserta (plains conjagurra), 22. S. giganteus (giant conjagurra), 23. S. afra (African common conjagurra), 24. S. augeomolaris (Long molared conjagurra). Feresetta.jpg|Feresetta sp.: 1. F. citrina (pygmy feresa), 2. F. scansor (lilytrotting feresa), 3. F. hydracola (aquatic pygmy feresa). Laceraria.jpg|Laceraria mexicana (tigah). Carnoaper.jpg|Carnoaper snyderi (Eurasian common feresa). Carnodorcas.jpg|Carnodorcas bicerosus (horned feresa). Elaphictis.jpg|Carnodorcas bicerosus (Indochinese edoc). Ictocamelus.jpg|Ictocamelus sp.: 28. I. nyctes (night hunting tamanoa), 29. I. ictera (Central American tamanoa), 30. I. canadiensis (polar tamanoa). Lucomala.jpg|Lucomala sp.: 31. L. perhorridus (Himalayan tamanoa), 32. L. brevisoma (round Indian tamanoa). Myailurus.jpg|Myailurus sp.: 33. M. melampus (black-footed prehensile-tailed lussa), 34. M. prehensacaudis (common prehensile-tailed lussa), 35. M. toxo (ringtailed lussa). Onoskelis.jpg|Onoskelis hippocentaurus (jagular). Terromala.jpg|Terromala gracilis (damarundi). Tamanoa.jpg|Tamanoa sp.: 38. T. insulatus (long-necked tamanoa), 39. T. indica (Indian tamanoa), 40. T. pallidus (Arabian tamanoa), 41. T. pumilla (bushy-tailed tamanoa), 42. T. montanus (New Guinean tamanoa), 43. T. sarcophagus (Asian tamanoa), 44. T. vulgaris (Bornean tamanoa). Murognathus.jpg|Murognathus sp.: 45. M. melanorufus (red-and-black lussa), 46. M. murinus (greater lussa). Arenarimor.jpg|Arenarimor sp.: 47. A. longimallae (long-fingered lita), 48. A. sphurolatus (sandy lita), 49. A. litus (common lita), 50. A. inflatus (speckled lita), 51. A. grallae many-toothed lita), 52. A. gradus (black-fronted lita). Gorgocinetus.jpg|Gorgocinetus sp.: 53. G. natambulus (swimming prober), 54. G. tenuis (teacup swimming prober). Kathetiras.jpg|Kathetiras pusilla (greater prober). Pervada.jpg|Pervada sp.: 56. P. ammomeles (Pecaus Island prober), 57. P. bata (Indian jada), 58. P. nopus (Australian jada), 59. P. orarius (Pacific prober). Reginictis.jpg|Reginictis sp.: 60. R. arcticus (Scandinavian turune), 61. R. canadiensis (Arctic turune), 62. R. marinus (western turune). Serrodus.jpg|Serrodus immorsus (saw-headed prober). Category:Species Category:Animals Category:Non-Sapient Species Category:Real Life Species Category:Mammals Category:Mammalian Species Category:Carnivores Category:Metazoica Species